Nanocomposites are polymers reinforced with nanometer sized particles, i.e., particles with a dimension on the order of 1 to several hundred nanometers. When nanoparticles are dispersed homogeneously throughout the polymer matrix, dramatic improvements in properties such as strength, flexural and Young's modulus, heat distortion temperature, and barrier to gas permeation can observed at very low filler loadings (<10% by weight). The nature and degree of property improvements depend in part on the geometry of the nanoparticle, its surface chemistry, and its interaction with the polymer matrix. When the nanoparticles are not fully dispersed but are present as aggregates in the polymer matrix, the desired property improvement may not be fully realized.
There remains a need for methods for preparing polyester nanocomposites having high dispersion of nanoparticles.